Above all remember to go easy on yourself. There can be really high expectations placed upon us as parents and it’s easy to lose track of our successes and forget to enjoy the moment. Sometimes just getting through is good enough!

Arohanui,The All Right? team

8 ways to survive - and even thrive - these holidays

Involve other people. It takes a village to raise a child! Play-dates can be a win-win for everyone. It doesn’t have to be a play-date either – just making time to have a cuppa with another adult can be a great sanity saver.

School holiday programmes. There are heaps of great programmes out there, covering sports, drama, technology and just plain old fun. Letting your child pick their fav can be a great way to get them excited about giving it a go.

Explore libraries. Libraries are spaces where people of all ages can discover, grow and learn. We have some pretty flash ones now – Lyttelton’s newly refurbished one just opened and Te Hāpua Halswell Centre is amazing.

Get creative at the Imagination Station. Thousands of lego bricks just waiting to for little hands to create some magic. A free activity that seems too good to be true! And Margaret Mahy Playground is just around the corner…

Take in some culture. April is your last chance to visit the amazing Air New Zealand 75 Years exhibition at the museum. Another way to soak in some culture could be a trip to the art gallery - let the children lead and start to see art from their perspective. They may not care about the artist and the painting’s value, but that bird in the background or any gore will be AMAZING!

Get on your bike! Christchurch has so many flat, whānau-friendly options:

It can help to make a plan...

She suggests that parents sit down with their kids at the start of the holidays, and collectively write down a list of everything their children might enjoy doing during their break. These can be basic activities, such as playing cards, reading a book, or going for a bicycle ride. They could also be more elaborate ideas such as cooking a fancy dinner, putting on a play, or practicing photography.

Then if your child comes to you throughout the holidays complaining of boredom, tell them to go and look at the list. “It puts the onus on them to say, ‘This is what I’d like to do’”. Worth a shot?

Remember boredom can be great!

While it’s great to have a plan for the school holidays, it’s equally important to give children time to be bored.